


Shovel Talk

by Blissaster



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, M/M, Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Some Humor, Some Plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 23:13:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15302142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blissaster/pseuds/Blissaster
Summary: Even after a few months of being deviant, Connor was still struggling to show his emotions. He was getting better at it lately. He started to see that what he wanted matter, that his feelings were not something dirty he had to hide. It seemed Hank had Markus to thank for that.Hank was grateful. Of course he was. But he could not help but hated Markus a little.It feels like my son’s being taken away all over again.





	Shovel Talk

**Author's Note:**

  * For [headraline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/headraline/gifts).



> Thank you, headraline for all the stories you wrote. Here is a little ~~sacrifice~~ gift.

Hank respected Markus for daring to stand up against his oppressors. He even admired the android for his firm refusal to resort to violence. If asked whether or not Markus was a good man, Hank would answer “Yes” without hesitation, even though he never met the man himself.

Until today.

Today was supposed to be a good day. Connor had just agreed with Hank’s strong suggestion to take a day off. So when he came back home, the light was on. He would never admit it, but it brought a smile to his lips. For so long, he had come back to an empty house. Now, he had a home to go back to. It was a nice feeling.

“I’m home,” he called out as he opened the door with his own key.

“In here.” came Connor’s answer from the living room. The room, used to be bare, now had an old comfy sofa, facing the TV. In front of the sofa, there was a rectangular table on which Hank sometimes rested his feet, if only to make Connor twitch -- “It is a table, lieutenant. It isn’t meant to be used as a foot rest.”

Markus sat on the left side of the sofa, while Connor was laying on it, Sumo on top of him. There was nothing unusual about it. Markus had come as a guest several times and Connor had always been affectionate towards the Saint Bernard. The weird thing was Markus had Connor’s head on his lap, his hand carding through the brown locks.

The sight was enough to make Hank stop dead in his track. “What the hell do you think you two are doing?” his voice boomed, making Connor jump. Sumo slipped down to the floor and he whined in protest. The old detective pushed his guilt aside.

“Relaxing?” Connor now was sitting upright though he was still leaning on Markus.

Through it all, Markus was watching them both, a frown between his eyes. “Connor, did you ever tell the good detective about our relationship?” he asked even if it seemed he already knew the answer.

Frowning, Connor looked at Markus. “Should I?” Markus closed his eyes as he let out a sigh. Connor’s face fell. “I thought what we have,” he gestured towards Markus and himself, “is private?”

“It is,” Markus answered patiently. “Most of the times though, your closest people, your friends and your family, want to know if you’re in a relationship.”

“Oh.”

“And you do count Lieutenant Anderson as your family?”

“Yes.” there was no hesitation in Connor’s answer. _That_ , more than the word itself, surprised Hank. In all the time he had known Connor, the kid tended to avoid questions about feelings like a plague. And here he was, openly admitting that he saw Hank as his family.

Connor’s admission appeased his anger, if only a little. But it was not enough to make him forget that now Markus -- peaceful android leader, all around good guy -- just became number one in his shit list.

* * *

To say Markus’ attempt to save the situation was a failure was an understatement. When he stood up and tried to get closer to Hank to explain, the old detective simply growled at him, making him stop where he was. It was enough to make Connor frown though Markus simply let out a soft sigh, resigned.

Hank refused to feel bad about it. He bet Markus had dealt with so much worse situation as a politician. _Which means you shouldn’t make his life even harder,_ a thought came, unbidden. He pushed that thought aside.

Right now, Markus was not the revolution leader who worked tirelessly to win his people their freedom. He was nothing but a threat who was about to take Hank’s kid away.

“Sit.” It sounded more like an order than request. Markus sat where he had been. Unfortunately, the sofa was the only place to sit in the living room. So Hank chose to stand instead. If it meant he could loom over his kid’s boyfriend menacingly, it was just a happy coincidence. “Connor, can you _please_ make a drink for our guest,” he said, his eyes never leaving Markus.

Connor, who sat on another end of the sofa, stayed where he was. “Lieutenant, you know androids don’t drink.”

“Connor…” Hank warned.

“You should be upset with me. For hiding my relationship with him,” Connor tried.

Hank messaged his temple. He could already feel the massive headache coming. “That’s not what makes me upset.” After a short moment, he amended,“That’s not what makes me upset the most.”

“Are you going to give him what humans call ‘shovel talk’?” Connor asked, head cocked to one side.

Hank could hear the air quote in that sentence. Normally, it would be enough to pull him out of his funk. But there was nothing normal about this situation. “Just… go to the kitchen. Give me some privacy to talk with your… _boyfriend_ ,” he spat the word as if it were poisonous.

“You do know that I can still hear you from there, right? I have excellent audio receptor. Not to mention the open-concept of this house makes voices travel nicely.”

“Connor.” Markus finally piped in. “Just… let’s get this over with, okay?”

Connor looked like he wanted to argue, but thought better of it. He stood up without protest even if he still looked far from happy.

 _Fucking finally!_ Hank thought.

“Yell if you need help,” Connor told Markus seriously, which was enough to make the deviant leader’s lips quirked up in a smile.

“He won’t kill me,” Markus said, ever calm.

“I won’t be so sure about that,” Hank muttered under his breath. Connor looked at him sharply at that.

“Hank, funnily enough, his crew doesn’t take it too kindly when he’s being threatened,” Connor said sarcastically. Of all things the kid copied from Hank, it had to be his sarcasm. “So, for your own good, please don’t threaten him too severely.” with that said, Connor marched huffily towards the kitchen.

* * *

Hank never liked beating around the bush. This time was no exception. The moment Connor was out of sight -- though as he said, he could still hear them -- he asked, “What is he to you?” Markus did not answer right away. “And if you say boyfriend, I swear I’ll blow your head off.”

“Hank!” came the reprimand from the kitchen. Hank ignored it. So did Markus.

“I don’t understand! He used to _hunt_ you! How can you just…!” Hank was so frustrated that he wanted to break something. But he knew, if he punched the android before him, it was his hand that would break. And it would probably make Connor hate him. So that was out of question. Instead he paced, hands moving wildly. “Is this some kind of ploy? Do you want to have your revenge? What do you want from him?”

“I assure you, lieutenant, my decision to have a romantic relationship with Connor is genuine. I truly care about him. And he cares about me. So we decided to have a relationship,” Markus explained. He was the picture of serenity and calmness. He did not even raise his voice.

Somehow it made Hank angrier. “What is he to you? An army candy, a conquest, a… a _boy toy_?” his voice grew louder as he became angrier.

“No.” Markus was still looking Hank in the eye. “To me, he’s… Hope.”

“Yeah, right.” the words were coated with sarcasm.

“I’m not lying.”

“You? The embodiment of hope for androids himself? You think _my_ kid, the ex-deviant hunter himself, is hope!?” Hank snorted. He did not even bother to hide his disbelief. Or his disdain. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“I… When I was cornered by the army, I thought that was it. That was the end. We fought for our freedom and we lost. And that was fine by me. I was ready to die,” Markus admitted, his voice was quiet. For the first time since this shitstorm happened, he lowered his gaze, hands balling at his lap, as if he was ashamed for admitting what he perceived as weakness.

Hank was caught off guard by the raw honesty in those words, but he was able to suppress his urge to react. Unlike Connor, whose sharp intake of breath could be heard even from the living room.

“Then Connor came, bringing thousands of androids he had just freed… And he turned the tide. And…” Markus shrugged helplessly. “I never realized how heavy it was, the burden of command, of being hope to the people, until I had someone to share it with me.”

Connor strode back to the living room, face set in determination. "I'm sorry Hank, you can continue your interrogation later, but I need to talk with this idiot," he said firmly though not harshly. Then he sat right besides Markus and turned his body around so they could face each other.

Hank deflated as his anger left him. He weighed his options. He could stay here, watching a moment between someone he saw as his own child and his boyfriend or he could go to the kitchen so he could be alone and regroup. He did not know what to expect when he demanded an answer from Markus. But it certainly was not this.  

“You’re an idiot.” Connor said as he took Markus’ face in his hands. There were fondness and exasperation in his voice. That was when Hank decided to book it. There was nothing sensual in the moment between them, yet, it felt too intimate for Hank to intrude.

Even if he did not want to, he could not help but hear their conversation.

“You’re not alone. You never were. You don’t have to shoulder everything alone. You have North and Josh.” Connor hesitated for one short moment. “And you used to have Simon too.”

“I know. But I’m their leader, first and foremost. I’m supposed to be strong to guide them.”

“You’re not my leader, though.”

“No, I'm not.”

* * *

Hank pulled out a chair of dining table and sat on it. He clasped his hands and rested his forehead on it, eyes closed. He did not know when he started to see Connor as his child, but he did.

He hated him, at first. The first time they met, Connor had seemed so… cold and unfeeling. As he got to know the kid better though, he finally saw how much he cared. Connor only had problem in expressing his feelings.

Even after a few months of being deviant, Connor was still struggling to show his emotions. He was getting better at it lately. He started to see that what he wanted matter, that his feelings were not something dirty he had to hide. It seemed Hank had Markus to thank for that.

Hank was grateful. Of course he was. But he could not help but hated Markus a little.

_It feels like my son’s being taken away all over again._

After all, what good would he be to Connor when the kid had the support his own people and their leader?

* * *

Hank did not know for how long he had sat in the kitchen, wishing he had not been so calloused towards Connor when they first met, hoping he could have more time with the kid now he realized how much he cared about him.

“Hank.” Connor’s call snapped Hank out of his thoughts. “I’m going to drive Markus back to New Jericho.” He was standing on the threshold between the living room and the kitchen, Markus a step behind him. The way he tried to protect his precious boyfriend would be cute, if it was not so disheartening. It was as if Connor saw him as the enemy.

“Lieutenant Anderson.” Markus stepped forward so he stood beside Connor, where he could look Hank in the eye. Connor tried to pull Markus away, but he refused to budge. The young detective narrowed his eyes, as if weighing the pros and cons of throwing Markus over his shoulder and make a run towards the front door. "I'm not trying to take him away from you." And just like that, Markus had Connor’s undivided attention.

Hank stiffened, watching Markus warily. When he kept quiet, Markus continued, "Being my romantic partner doesn't mean he stops being your son. Of course, I want him to spend more time with me, with his people, but I don't want him to sever his relationship with you."

Markus' face softened. Hank supposed he would always be amazed to see how expressive androids could be, especially this one. "You can always come to New Jericho with him. In fact, please do.” Hank was watching Markus, wondering if his offer was genuine or he merely said that to win his approval. “I think it'll be good for us all. You can spend more time with Connor in his natural habitat,” at this, Markus threw a small smirk at Connor, who glared at him, “And you can show us that not all humans hate us."

Hank knew what Markus was offering him: an olive branch. "... I'll, think about it.” he said. He knew it was as good as an affirmation, because there was no way he would waste a chance of spending more time with his kid outside of work.

Markus beamed. “That’s all I ask.”

Connor was watching Markus weirdly. "North is right."

"She usually is," Markus answered without missing a beat. "But what is she right about this time?"

"There's something wrong with your self-preservation module," Connor deadpanned. "How can you invite someone who, just a moment ago, threatened you with bodily harm, to your home?"

Markus just laughed.

* * *

It did not take Hank a long time to ask Connor if he could come with him to New Jericho. After all, he really did not want to lose his kid. If spending time amongst androids was the price, he was more that willing to pay it.

"If you want to come to New Jericho, you should NEVER show hostility towards Markus," Connor warned Hank, who rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. Unless you want to die at the hands of his fans."

"'Fans'?" Hank echoed, not trying to hide his disbelief. "Don't you mean followers?"

Connor looked Hank in the eye. "Did I stutter, lieutenant?"

"Huh." Hank looked at Markus, assessing. "Never peg you to be the type to have fans. It sounds so… juvenile."

Markus visibly flustered. If he were human, Hank suspected his face would be flushed red. "It's not... They're not my fans!!" he stuttered, stumbling over his words.

“Don’t let them hear that from you, you’ll break their hearts,” Connor teased him.

“Shut up.” was Markus’ eloquent reply.

Hank did a double take. Was this the same man who infiltrated Stratford Tower and gave a moving speech about humans giving androids their freedom? Did Markus -- the revolutionist who led thousands of androids, who was unfazed even when cornered by the army -- stutter? Because _Connor_ teased him?

 _So he's not perfect, after all_ , Hank thought. Somehow, that thought comforted him more than it should.

When Hank found out that Connor was in relationship with Markus, he was worried Markus would hurt the kid. Not physically, no. He knew his kid was made of tough stuff -- besides, he was pretty sure Connor could beat Markus in a fight.

Connor was newer model. Not to mention he was designed to be part of the police department, while Markus was, as far as he knew, meant to be a caretaker. Hank knew he was biased. He did not care. In his head, Connor could beat Markus’ ass and that was that.

He was afraid Markus would hurt Connor emotionally. After all, emotions were still very new to the kid, while Markus seemed so sure of his emotions. What if Markus manipulated Connor? What if he forced the kid to do something he did not want to?

Of course, Hank knew Markus was widely regarded as Mr. Perfect; strong but kind with infinite amount of patience. Yet, he could not help but wonder: what flaw did he hide under his perfect persona?

Now, seeing the revolution leader's composure fell, it showed him that the android was not so perfect after all. That he was not invulnerable, that he was _human._ It brought some peace to his old mind.

Hank focused back on the conversation -- though it sounded more like bickering -- when Markus, composure intact once again, said, “You’re one to talk. Have you forgotten your own fans? And their number is not exactly small.”

Connor scowled. “Their admiration of me stems from their false belief that I’m a hero. Once they realize that it is false, they will cease.” It seemed Connor was back to using formal language when his emotion was running high. Hank would bet his badge the emotion on the front of Connor’s mind was annoyance.

Markus threw his head back and laughed. “‘False belief’?” he echoed mockingly. “Let’s see… Our people see you as a hero because one, you liberated THOUSANDS of androids from CyberLife plant, two, your first action was the only reason the revolution succeeded in the first place. Did you actually do those things?” he waited to see if Connor would answer. When he did not, he continued, “Yes, you did. So, are you a real hero? Surprise! Yes, you are!”

Hank did not think it was possible, but Connor’s scowl deepened. _Ah. So Markus can be a little shit too._

“So, you’re a hero now?” Hank butted in, which earned him a dirty glare form Connor. He merely smirked. “Think you can intimidate me with that glare, hm? You already forget who taught you that in the first place?” He bopped Connor’s nose. Connor swatted his hand away. He turned to look at Markus. “A hero, you say?”

Markus smiled sweetly. “Do you want the short story or the long story, LT?”

“Do you have to ask? I want the whole story, don’t you dare to leave any little detail behind,” Hank answered firmly, nodding.

“Don’t you dare!” Connor hissed at his boyfriend.

Markus’ smile widened. “I’ll be honored to tell you the whole story, LT.”

Connor, who kept reminding Hank that he should play nice with Markus, elbowed his boyfriend none-too-gently, “Markus! Stop charming my dad already!”

Connor said the D-word oh-so-casually, but it still caught Hank off guard. “Did you just…” he opened his mouth, trying to say the word only to fail, so he closed his mouth. For an undetermined of time, he acted like a gaping fish. All the while, Connor was smiling sweetly at him. Then Hank turned to look at Markus, “Did he just…?” he gestured towards Connor wildly, as if hoping it would be enough to convey his meaning.

“Yes, LT, he did just call you dad,” Markus answered. Then his eyes flickered towards Connor. “Misdirection, very good.”

Hank was ashamed to admit it, but it took him a moment to understand what Markus was trying to tell him. His eyes widened as realization dawned: Connor tried to distract him by calling him Dad. “Just because you call me D-dad,” he stumbled over the word, “doesn’t make me forget to ask about your heroic deed, kid!” he pointed at Connor accusingly, scowling, even though there was triumphant  smile on his face. “So, how can my little ex-deviant hunter become a hero?” he asked Markus.

“After Jericho was attacked, Connor offered to go to CyberLife plant to free thousands of androids there. It would shift the balance to our favor, which it did, but it also was a suicide mission,” Markus said by way of explanation.

“‘Suicide mission’?” Hank echoed, glaring towards his kid, who had the decency to look sheepish.

“It worked,” was all Connor said in his defense.

“Thankfully it did.” Markus agreed. “So, basically, Connor not only liberated thousands of androids, but also turned the tide of revolution, single-handedly.”

“You’re the one who started the revolution.” Connor tried to deflect. He sounded uncomfortable with the way Markus heaped praises upon him.

“And you ended it,” Markus said smoothly, as if they had this particular argument regularly. “And you bet the thousands androids he freed admire him, while the rest was just grateful he chose to change aside when he did. And that’s how Connor became a hero.” His mismatched eyes gleamed with mischief. “With his status as a hero, he also gets his own fan club.”

“MARKUS!”

Hank’s ears rang. Out of relex, he put his hands around his ears. He did not know Connor’s voice box could reach that high a pitch. “Ow, kid. Have mercy on this old man, yeah?” he rubbed his ears, hoping it would ease the ringing. “So…” he drawled. “Fan club, eh?”

Connor crossed his arms across his chest, huffing angrily. He gave Markus the stink-eye. “I hate you,” he muttered sulkily.

“Aw, I love you too!” came Markus’ cheery reply.

Hank made a face. “Kids! Just because I’m okay with your relationship doesn’t mean I want to see you flirt!”

“Sorry!” Connor and Markus chorused, both of them sounding unapologetic.

“Ugh! I’m too old for this shit!”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction in this fandom. I hope I don't get everyone too OOC. I don't even play the game, I don't know how I can get dragged in to this. ~~That's a lie. I know exactly how. It's all tumblr's fault.~~ Anyway, thank you for reading.


End file.
